Man Arrested Twice for Bringing Firearms to Wis. Capitol

Facts

• On Thursday, Wisconsin police stated that an illegally armed man who had visited the state's Capitol seeking to speak with Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday returned to the building later that night with a rifle after posting bail.¹
• While initially arrested and released on bail, Joshua Pleasnick was later taken into protective custody and hospitalized. Pleasnick had reportedly asked to speak to Gov. Evers concerning 'domestic abuse towards men.'²
• According to a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Administration, the armed individual arrived around 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time.¹
• Firearms may be brought into the Capitol if they are concealed in tandem with the ownership of a correct permit, with the public having free access to the building between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Capitol's spokesperson stated that there were no immediate plans for security measures to be changed.³
• An internal report provided to lawmakers is claimed to have described Pleasnick as 'likely' to have had access to 'a large amount of weapons.' Speaking to the media on Thursday, Evers stated that he was 'ok' while continuing that the incident was 'why we have good people in the police departments.'⁴
• Last summer, Evers was named — alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — on the hit list of a gunman alleged to have murdered a Wisconsin judge. Evers won re-election in 2022, having initially ascended to the role in 2018 following 10 years as the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²USA Today, ³NBC, ⁴Journal sentinel and ⁵Forbes.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The new republic. The second time that Evers has been targeted by a gunman, the event at Wisconsin's Capitol perfectly sums up the growing crises surrounding firearm possession and political acts of violence within the US. Those who have championed progressive causes, such as Governors Evers and Whitmer, shouldn't have to live with the threat of being shot because of their visions for public office.
• Republican narrative, as provided by National review. While moral arguments for gun control may seem noble to those on the left, they're completely redundant without any acceptance of the constitutional realities of firearm possession in the US. Despite continued claims otherwise, the Second Amendment is clear in the rights granted to each and every American citizen, and it is highly unlikely that this will ever change.

Predictions